View source for Office of Special Education Programs

{{Organization 
|OrganizationName=Office of Special Education Programs
|OrganizationType=Administrative and Support Agencies
|Mission=To improve results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts in providing special education services. OSEP's work is focused on ensuring access to fair, equitable, and high-quality education for individuals with disabilities.
|OrganizationExecutive=Director
|Employees=Not publicly specified; part of the U.S. Department of Education staff
|Budget=Part of the U.S. Department of Education's budget; significant portion allocated to IDEA grants
|Website=https://sites.ed.gov/idea
|Services=Leadership in special education policy; grants for special education services; technical assistance; research; 
|ParentOrganization=U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
|CreationLegislation=Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
|HeadquartersLocation=38.882365, -77.016425
|HeadquartersAddress=400 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20202
}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name     = United States<br />Department of Education
|type            = Department
|nativename      =
|nativename_a    =
|nativename_r    =
|logo            = Seal of the United States Department of Education.svg
|logo_width      = 140 px
|logo_caption    = Seal of the US Department of Education
|formed          = October 17, 1979
|preceding1      = [[United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare]]
|preceding2      =United States Office of Education
|dissolved       =
|superseding     =
|jurisdiction    = [[Federal government of the United States]]
|headquarters    =
|employees       = 5,000 (2007)
|budget          = US$32 billion (2009)<ref name="FY2011 Federal Budget">[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2011/assets/budget.pdf FY2011 Federal Budget]</ref><br />US$56 billion (est. 2010)<br />US$71 billion (est. 2011)<br />[[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|ARRA]] Funding:<br />US$102 billion (2009)<ref name="FY2011 Federal Budget"/><br />US$51 billion (est. 2010)<br />US$23 billion (est. 2011)
|minister1_name  =
|minister1_pfo   =
|minister2_name  =
|minister2_pfo   =
|chief1_name     = [[Arne Duncan]]
|chief1_position = [[United States Secretary of Education|Secretary]]
|chief2_name     = [[Anthony W. Miller]]
|chief2_position = Deputy Secretary
|parent_agency   =
|child1_agency   = [[Template:ED agencies|Click here]]
|child2_agency   =
|website         = [https://sites.ed.gov/idea/ www.ed.gov]
|footnotes       =
}}

Originally created as the Bureau of the Education of the Handicapped, the '''Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)''' is part of the [[U.S. Department of Education]].  OSEP provides leadership and support for professionals working with children with disabilities. Another critical role of OSEP is to protect the educational rights of children with disabilities from age three through twenty-one. OSEP is supervised by the Office of the [[Deputy Secretary of Education]] through the [[Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services]] ([[OSERS]]).

==Mission==
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is a unit within the U.S Department of Education.  Originally created as the Bureau of the Education of the Handicapped in 1967,<ref name="BEH">[http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED036017.pdf ed036017.tif.pdf<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
its purpose is to strengthen and coordinate activities on behalf of students with disabilities. OSEP activities are authorized through the [[Individuals with Disabilities Education Act]] (IDEA).<ref name="IDEA">{{Cite web|url=http://idea.ed.gov/download/statute.html|title = Statute and Regulations}}</ref>
Its current mission is to improve results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts.<ref name="mission">[http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/mission.html OSEP: Mission Statement<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> OSEP programs are intended to ensure that the rights of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their parents are protected.

==Responsibilities ==
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) provides leadership and support to assist states and local districts to provide a [[free and appropriate public education]] (FAPE) in the [[Least Restrictive Environment]] (LRE) to children with disabilities. OSEP administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which provides for the education of children with disabilities in the United States, pre-kindergarten through high school graduation or age 21.<ref name="mission"/> Among its responsibilities OSEP aims to:
* Create and disseminate federal policy information regarding early intervention, preschool, elementary and secondary school for students with disabilities;
* Provide state-administered program grants and competitive grants for discretionary programs;
* Fund research and support innovative practice in the education of children with disabilities;
* Promote the training of educational professionals, parents and volunteers;
* Monitor and report on the implementation of federal policy and programs for children with disabilities; and
* Coordinate the review of OSEP activities by stakeholders including: other federal agencies, state agencies, the private sector, parent and professional organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities.

==Organization==
[[Image:US Department of Education organizational chart.gif|thumb|300px|right|Department of Education structure]]

OSEP is under the auspices of the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Education through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). OSEP consists of the Office of the Director, Program Support Services Group, Monitoring and State Improvement Planning Division and Research to Practice Division.<ref name="plan">[http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/orgchart.html OSEP Organization Chart<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Early Childhood Team, Elementary and Middle School Team, Secondary/Transition/Postsecondary Team and National Initiatives Team make up the Research to Practice Division.<ref name="org">[http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/or/index.html?src=ln ED Organization Chart<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

; OSEP Directors
* 1967 Jim Gallagher <ref name="jim">[http://www.fpg.unc.edu/people/fpg_people.cfm?staffid=163 FPG People<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* 1990 [[Judy A.Schrag]]
* 1993 [[Tom Hehir]]
* 1999 [[Barbara Gantwerk]]
* 2002 [[Stephanie Smith Lee]]
* 2006 [[Alexa Posny]]
* 2010 [[Melody Musgrove]]

==See also==
{{Portal|United States|Politics|Education}}
*[[Special Education]]
*[[No Child Left Behind]]
*[[Educational attainment in the United States]]
*[[Education in the United States]]
*[[Secretary of Education]]
*[[School Improvement Grant]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://idea.ed.gov/ Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/leg/idea/history30.html IDEA'S Impact: Thirty Years of Progress in Educating Children with Disabilities Through IDEA]
* [http://www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/view/137/192/ Office of Special Education Programs Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)- Home Page]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/programs.html OSEP Program Funded Activities]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/index.html OSEP Grant Opportunities and Funding]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/products.html OSEP Publications and Products]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/research.html OSEP Research and Statistics]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/studies.html OSEP Sponsored National Studies]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/monitor/index.html OSERS/OSEP Monitoring]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/resources.html OSEP Sponsored Websites]
* [http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/policy.html OSEP Legislation and Policy]

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{{ED agencies}}

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[[Category:United States Department of Education agencies|Special Education Programs, Office of]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1967]]